2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Isaiah Davis, RB South Dakota State
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Isaiah Davis, a 3-star running back recruit from Joplin, Missouri. At Joplin High School, Davis was honored as the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year. In his senior season, he accumulated 2,283 yards on the ground and 45 touchdowns on 253 carries, added another 220 yards and 2 TDs on 19 receptions, and even recorded 52 tackles on defense.
Davis committed to South Dakota State out of high school and player there for his entire college career. As a Jackrabbit, Davis was impressive from the beginning, eclipsing 900 yards as a freshman on just over 100 touches. But it was as a junior when Davis broke out, becoming the workhorse for the Jackrabbits that carried over to his senior season. In his final two collegiate years, Davis amassed over 3000 rushing yards, adding almost another 400 receiving yards and found the end zone a total of 34 times.
Though competition was poor, Davis still managed to shine in a workhorse role. He even held his own at the NFL Combine, posting an 8.34 RAS. Davis has the skill and experience to become a rotational NFL back if given the opportunity.
Measurables
NCAA Statistics
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Good size and decent strength for the position.
- Rarely gets brought down by the first tackler and possesses a good stiff arm.
- Has decent speed in space.
- Plus athleticism paired with solid vision.
- A pretty good catcher of the football.
Weaknesses
- Does not possess elite speed, burst or athleticism.
- Does not have much shiftiness to his game in the open field.
- Vision is good, but holes were often massive given the level he was playing at.
- Competition faced was not good.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: 6th Round
Ideal Landing Spot: Cleveland Browns
The Browns can offer Davis a chance to play a role immediately given the state of their RB room. Though Nick Chubb will eventually return, the competition appears wide open this offseason after a lackluster but decent season from Jerome Ford as the main back in 2023.
For Cleveland, Davis can solidify their RB depth without spending a premium pick at the position. Given all they’ve done in free agency to add depth, it’s still an unknown how D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines will pair with Pierre Strong and Ford. A rookie back will also help to inject a bit of youth into this aging and injured room.
For Davis, it’s likely that his best case is finding a spot to develop and learn. While the goal will be to get on the field as quickly as possible, that’s not going to be easy in most situations. At least in Cleveland, there is a lot in flux and the offensive line is still very good. If Davis can prove himself worthy of touches to the coaching staff, he should have an opportunity to work and eventually earn a small role in his first season.
Unfortunately, overall, it’s unlikely Davis gets much meaningful work at the next level barring injury.
Post-Draft Analysis
Pick 5.173 to the New York Jets
Davis
